Hoe Valley School

Inspection of Hoe Valley School Egley Road, Woking, Surrey GU22 0NH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The acting headteacher of this school is Kevin Kelly. This school is part of a single academy trust named the Hoe Valley School. The school is overseen by a board of trustees, known as the board of governors, chaired by Liz Perkins. 13 and 14 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hoe Valley is a welcoming, friendly and inclusive school. It plays an important role in its local community. Pupils feel happy and safe here. The school’s ‘circle’ values of community, integrity, resilience, courtesy, leadership and enthusiasm underpin the school’s work. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for upholding these values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to do well. Many pupils in the main school, and students in the rapidly growing sixth form, typically achieve well in public examinations. However, some disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not achieve as much as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of behaviour with clearly established routines that pupils understand. This ensures that the great majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is passionate about ensuring that pupils develop into confident young people. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles such as prefects, house captains and well-being ambassadors. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular experiences, including trips abroad to Iceland, France and Germany. Clubs include Korean club and gardening club. A number of pupils participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Pupils develop a firm foundation of knowledge and skills in key stage 3. In key stage 4, pupils have a wide choice of academic and vocational subjects to choose from including Latin and classical civilisation. Increasing numbers of pupils are studying the suite of subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate. Students in the new sixth form appreciate the wide subject range that meets their needs and aspirations well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They ensure that learning is carefully ordered to help pupils to build on what they already know. They explain things clearly and design tasks that help most pupils to learn securely. The school supports pupils to remember the curriculum. For example, teaching often includes activities to help pupils recap what they have learned before. Teachers give pupils regular opportunities to apply their learning in different contexts. In the sixth form, there is much skilful teaching and extending of students’ understanding by teachers. However, sometimes teaching does not consistently check pupils have understood new concepts before moving on. This means that some teaching does not identify gaps in knowledge or misconceptions effectively. Consequently, this hinders pupils’ progression through the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school identifies any pupils with SEND effectively. It provides useful information to staff about these pupils’ needs. In most cases, staff adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND to learn as intended. However, the school has not ensured that staff have the expertise to consistently adapt their approaches to successfully help pupils with SEND 13 and 14 May 2025

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overcome their specific barriers to learning. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school provides support to pupils who need it to read well. The school is ambitious in this regard. There is a strong focus on encouraging all pupils to read regularly and develop a love of reading.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Most pupils enjoy school and so they attend regularly. Staff have developed a range of strategies, such as designing bespoke timetables, to support those pupils who find coming to school difficult. Consequently, many more are now regular attenders and are achieving well. Most pupils concentrate well on their work in class. However, the school’s behaviour policy is not implemented consistently. Consequently, some pupils do not always behave as the school expects.

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The personal, social, health and economic education programme is thoughtfully and logically sequenced. Pupils are taught about issues that may have an impact on them, such as the importance of consent and staying safe online. Pupils learn about people with protected characteristics. The school provides high-quality advice and guidance about options and career choices. Pupils take part in meaningful work experience opportunities and benefit from an annual careers fair. The school ensures that pupils understand their options when they leave the school, including apprenticeships. Consequently, pupils are well prepared to make informed choices about their future education and employment.

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School leaders have a clear vision for the school to grow and serve its local community. There is a strong feeling of collegiality and collaboration among staff. They feel well supported, including those in the early stages of their careers. They appreciate the helpful training they receive and leaders’ attention to their workload and well-being. Parents and carers are mostly positive about the school and say staff usually communicate with them well. Governors are loyal and committed. They work closely with school leaders to challenge and support them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching is not routinely adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue its work to equip staff with the strategies they need to ensure pupils with SEND achieve their potential.  Sometimes, teaching does not accurately check pupils’ understanding before moving on to new activities. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge and misconceptions are not spotted and addressed. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to 13 and 14 May 2025

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accurately check what pupils know and address misconceptions across the full range of subjects.  The school’s behaviour policy is not always implemented in a consistent manner. This means that some pupils’ behaviour does not meet the school’s expectations, which hinders their learning and that of others. The school should ensure that staff are consistent in their application of the behaviour policy.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked-after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 May 2025

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form

Headteacher Kevin Kelly (acting headteacher)

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form

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher both took up post in April 2025. A new headteacher has been appointed from September 2025.  The school’s purpose-built sixth-form facility opened in March 2025.  The school uses two registered and one unregistered providers of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 13 and 14 May 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils and eleven members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector had a telephone call with an educational consultant who supports the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, English, history, mathematics, and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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Information about this inspection

extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke to staff, including early career teachers, about behaviour and their workload in school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the confidential online staff survey. They took account of the responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors considered the views of pupils shared in the confidential online pupil survey and through discussions held with pupils throughout the school.

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Inspection team

Paula Sargent, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nathan Thomas Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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